Theox wrote:The detour claimed its first victim last week. Snapped my frame, only cruising along when it happened and was able to limp home. I blame the big dipper for that, i had a feeling this would happen puts alot of strain on the backend puntching up the hill. Admittedly this it the 5th busted frame in 10 years Simon good to see you in the local paper, whats this you can do the speed limit down the dipper ....cracked 89km the other day, thank god the frame didnt snap at the bottom on that attempt.Jeff

I wasn't going to say that you can easily do 30 over the limit to the press. The two times I've ridden the dipper 8 yrs ago on my old flat bar I got my two highest speeds ever.

Sean,The replacement has arrived, took it for a spin up and down the street yesterday, the moment i rolled out the driveway and down the street I could feel what the fuss about Titanuim is all about. The Orca soaks up the bumps okay but this thing is significantly smoother, feels realy grounded, doesnt seem to loose to much in the get up and go department when I get out of the saddle.I need to get a slightly longer stem, its got a 90mm 85 deg, think I need a 120 or 130mm.I think it will make an excellent commuter especially when cough, cough I am feeling sick on the way to work, hang a left at browns water hole and ride back home via Brooklyn and wisemans (which I will do one day). The old Merida would rattle your fillings out, seriously would'nt want to do more than 40km in one ride, even on smooth road.

Simon,Hehe i know but you could have sited the BNA M2 thread and said "even better the cops can't enen book you for it as theres no actual ticket the have at their disposal". Good thing too as last time the M2 was shut, the dipper had a 40km road works speed limit. I was cracking almost 50 km over the limit twice a day for a couple of years.

Theox wrote:The replacement has arrived, took it for a spin up and down the street yesterday, the moment i rolled out the driveway and down the street I could feel what the fuss about Titanuim is all about.

Good for you. Tried to build the Niner today but don't have a 140 mm rotor for the rear. Plus too hot. Gave up. Went back to it late in the day and set it up without working shifters and brakes...went for a blast up the driveway. Brilliant! This is great and....wophashyte!!!!...nearly slammed into the gate! Saved by the liberal application of Croc.

Theox wrote:Simon,Hehe i know but you could have sited the BNA M2 thread and said "even better the cops can't enen book you for it as theres no actual ticket the have at their disposal". Good thing too as last time the M2 was shut, the dipper had a 40km road works speed limit. I was cracking almost 50 km over the limit twice a day for a couple of years.

Sadly, the ticket loophole has been removed from March 1st, and you can now be given a TIN for speeding on a bicycle...for your safety of course.

OK, so looking at the detour when heading westbound, I ride off the M2 up the Pennant Hills Rd exit ramp, turn left, and have to ride along PH Rd in peak hour traffic? Then somehow get across to the right lane, to turn right into Murray Farm Rd - across peak hour traffic - where there's a No Right Turn sign?Then go down New Nth Rocks Rd, turn right onto Windsor Rd, ride up Windsor Rd in peak hour traffic - which is crazy when in a car - over the madhouse intersection over the top of M2 then left on Northmead Ave and continue?

Have I got it wrong or is that just bloody stupid? I really want to commute out to work... but this detour looks horrendous.

SheikYerbouti wrote:OK, so looking at the detour when heading westbound, I ride off the M2 up the Pennant Hills Rd exit ramp, turn left, and have to ride along PH Rd in peak hour traffic? Then somehow get across to the right lane, to turn right into Murray Farm Rd - across peak hour traffic - where there's a No Right Turn sign?Then go down New Nth Rocks Rd, turn right onto Windsor Rd, ride up Windsor Rd in peak hour traffic - which is crazy when in a car - over the madhouse intersection over the top of M2 then left on Northmead Ave and continue?

Have I got it wrong or is that just bloody stupid? I really want to commute out to work... but this detour looks horrendous.

Don't panic. The eastern footpath has been turned into a shared path (by magic). Ride the path past Murray Farm Rd (it's a Bus Only right turn bay anyway). Cross at the pedestrian/bike lantern lights near the servo to the western path and backtrack a little to get to Murray Farm Rd.

Not ideal by any stretch but better for most cyclists to not ride on P/Hills Rd.

Then all of the other crossing points have been treated as shared paths with bike lanterns, etc on the Windsor Rd crossings. Painful.

Where's your destination? Might be able to suggest a better non-official alternative.

Boognoss wrote:Where's your destination? Might be able to suggest a better non-official alternative.

Thanks.I'm aiming to come up the M2 for the M7 cycleway to get to work, or Castle Hill (Parsonage Rd) to my in-laws.The commute was great before the lane closure!

If going to Parsonage, consider a route a few pages back on this thread that goes through West Pennant Hills/Castle hill through the part at the bottom of highs Rd. Some hills but more direct and safe.

Hey gang. Doing my first commute tomorrow since moving to wph. Just a quick question. When I get off the M2 and turn onto phr do you guys recommend footpath or just join in with the traffic?I only need to get to Aiken Rd.

I recommend footpath up to Copeland. That footpath is terrible, and virtually unrideable but I use it because all the alternatives are even worse. Cross PH Rd when you get to Copeland or at the pedestrian lights at the top of Aiken. Take care crossing Copeland from that eastern footpath, in particular watch for left turners turning off PH Rd onto Copeland. There are a few variations on this, watch and work out which works best for you, but take it easy and learn the light phasing the first couple of times.

The eastern footpath is crap, but it is less crap than getting squashed by a b-double going up the hill to Castle Hill Rd.

When you get to Copeland Rd, you want to switch sides of PHR Back to the western path. You can wait for the pedestrian lights to first cross Copeland, then wait (again) to cross PHR.However, as suggested, learn the light phasing. I will join the traffic turning right from copeland onto PHR, then go straight up into the path to Aiken and then Oratava. Just not worth getting squashed by a truck for what amounts to maybe 2km of path riding.

I sometimes go down Oratava and then climb up through Cumberland forest to Castle Hill Rd. you could do the same if you want to get some hill climbing before bombing down Coonara

I often come from the other direction up the M2 and mostly not on week days. But recently I have been going on the road up PHR until the path opens up on the left and then up the path (which is overgrown and a pain but better than road). It is only a few hundred metres in traffic (1-2 minutes), and normally it is stop start for me and does not seem dangerous. It could of course be very different in peak hour. I normally do this on a Sat/Sun morning.

Just a heads up for those who ride the big dipper heading west.The road has been diverted onto the wrong side of the road on the over pass over the M2. This is okay, what is no so good is the transition back onto the LHS of the road, there is a split in the road in the original centre line of the road. Its down hill, fast and off camber. If you come unstuck your into on coming traffic .

In last week I have come across two cars just out of the Norfolk St Tunnel parked in breakdown lane with huge gashes in their tyres.Road debris??? Maybe they should sweep some more! The annoying thing for me is the car drivers only just move into the breakdown lane. The car today was parked within 30cm of the left hand lane. It could have been moved over to the left more than a metre. I had to slow and cycle to left of car and to the right of driver and M2 maintenance guy who was assisting (he had pulled up behind well to the left in the breakdown lane).

It's quite well signed, but hilly, and two crossing Oakes Rd (heavy north-south traffic and no lights) and Pennant Hills Rd (I've given up waiting for the lights to change many times) are horrid. I use the M2 between Pennant Hills Rd and Macquarrie uni then head north to Hornsby: http://www.strava.com/activities/602420726

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